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Keep your cool

Steve Ennen

A new screw compressor helps a Texas baker from baking its products

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Made with rich chocolate cream and studded with nuts, chocolate chips and turtle cheesecake topped with chocolate curls and caramel, Chocolate Eruption is just one of 182 frozen desserts manufactured by Lawler Foods Ltd. in Humble, Texas.

Key to keeping all of those pies, cheesecakes, bars and brownies at a constant 40 degrees F. on hot Texas days is a new Cool Compression Screw Compressor Unit supplied by Vilter.

The Lawler/Vilter connection dates back 15 years, when Bruce Fowler, Lawler's Plant/Engineering Manager, worked for a division of Schwans Ice Cream in the Texas region. During his time there, Fowler increased plant capacity from 900 tons to 3,000 tons of refrigeration. "All of the compressors were Vilter," recalls Fowler.

The family-owned and operated Lawler Foods started in a small space with one employee, one mixer and a small oven. In 1984, the company moved to a 9,600-sq.-ft. facility and has continued expanding ever since. When Fowler began working at Lawler eight years ago, the plant was equipped with compressors from other suppliers. Most recently, when it came time to expand the plant again, Fowler turned to Vilter.

Size, horsepower and savings

"Vilter was introducing a new oil cooling concept at that time -- Cool Compression -- which we chose for three reasons," Fowler recalls. First, he explains, the VSM Single Screw Cool Compression unit is lighter than most compressors. Since the engine room was located on the second floor of the Lawler plant, weight was no small consideration.

The second deciding factor was oil separation efficiency and low operating oil charge. Fowler explains that competitive compressors with the same horsepower as the VSM system use 30 gallons of oil, as compared to the 7 gallons used by the latter.

In addition to oil savings, VSM Cool Compression unit runs cooler, Fowler says. "Heat decreases the life of mechanical equipment, so getting lower discharge temperatures is important," he elaborates. According to Vilter, the Cool Compression unit is tested to operate 50 percent longer than competing compressors with the same horsepower.

Although it was primarily size, horsepower and savings that prompted Lawler to install the Cool Compression system, Fowler says Vilter's engineering expertise and customer service also figured into the final decision. "They have first-class engineers that are just a phone call away," Fowler says.

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